1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for fining alcoholic beverages and more particularly to a process for fining alcoholic beverages using collagen.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Non-distilled alcoholic beverages whether from grapes, apples, pears, malt, hops, and other fermentable material are hazy after primary fermentation. This haze is caused by small particles 1.0 micron to 0.001 micron in diameter. These haze causing materials are typically grape or yeast proteins, peptides, pectins, gums, dextrans, unstable grape pigments, tannins, hop resins, polyphenols and the like. In order to obtain a brilliant, palatable, clear alcoholic beverage, it is necessary to remove these haze causing materials by a process known in the art as "fining."
Government regulations in the United States and other countries require that fining agents for wine do not change the basic character of the wine; and, in the case of undistilled alcoholic beverages, in many countries, it is required that none of the fining agent remains in the alcoholic beverage.
Typically, the fining is accomplished by complexing the haze causing materials with a particular fining agent and subsequently filtering the complex. Typical fining agents are bentonite, carbon, gelatin, casein and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) and particularly in the case of beer, isinglass is particularly preferred. "Complexing" as used herein means and refers to actual chemical combination and/or physical association. In typical fining processes, the fining agent is combined with the primarily fermented alcoholic beverage and the combination is allowed to age until clarification is accomplished. This aging is conducted for many days and in the case of beer is approximately five days. After the aging is complete and the haze causing materials are sufficiently complexed with the fining agent, the primarily fermented alcoholic beverage is filtered to remove the complexed material. The complexes of the fining agent and the haze causing materials are generally of very fine particle size which tend to cause clogging of the filters and a requirement that the filtration media be changed frequently.
One of the most acceptable fining agents for wine and beer is isinglass, however, isinglass is an expensive commodity. Isinglass, a relatively pure form of collagen, is derived from the tunic of the swim bladder of large fish, for example, Beluga Sturgeon and similar species. Because of the expense and lack of availability of isinglass it has been desired to use a fining agent which is an effective substitute therefore, and preferably improves the fining process by rapid complexization of the haze causing materials and ease of removal of the complex of haze causing material.
In accordance with the present invention a fining agent for alcoholic beverages is provided which is readily available and efficiently complexes with the haze causing materials of fermented alcoholic beverages.
Further in accordance with the present invention, a fining agent for alcoholic beverages is provided wherein the fining agent haze causing complex is easily removed by filtration due to the large size of the material to be filtered. Still further in accordance with the present invention, a fining agent for alcoholic beverages is provided which is insoluble in the alcoholic beverage and is readily completely removed from the alcoholic beverage upon filtration.